Mitre

I echo the comments posted by others on the usurious "brokerage fees" charged by UPS. I actually opened a brokerage account with UPS in the name of my company because I could get a slightly lower (yes-but only about 4% lower) brokerage rate.
Since I live only about 100 miles from the US border, I have actually resorted to using a drop ship service in Sweetgrass, Montana. I have large or heavy orders delivered to them. I arrange for the freight company to deliver the items to this hold for pickup service address. I ask the freight company to give me 24 hours notice before they drop the shipment off in Sweetgrass. I meet the truck in Sweetgrass, inspect the goods for damage (a very necessary step) and then transport the goods across the border in my pick-up truck. If you think this is inconvenient and expensive, it is. But it is still a lot cheaper than UPS for large shipments. In some cases, furnaces, air conditioners and large machinery for instance, it is the only way to get goods across the border since the manufacturers have contracts with Canadian distributors forbidding direct marketing to Canadians. In the era of free trade, this is a sad state of affairs.
For smaller shipments, I agree with cocobolo1. If the sellers can not or will not ship via the US Postal service, then I don't buy anything from them. I simply will not pay the bend over fees that UPS charges. I have since closed my account with them,